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Technology giants to descend on conventions

This year’s conventions will be the first in which mobile devices take center stage. | AP Photo

“What we want to do is work with elected officials and campaigns and journalists and others to make best use of the platform around an event where there’s going to be such an intense focus,” she said.

It’s not just parties and tech titans that plan to leverage the rise of smartphones and social media: Tampa and Charlotte will see an unprecedented amount of mobile advertising by outside groups, not to mention all the social media activity from convention-goers and speakers themselves.

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Ensuring social media is fully incorporated into the conventions is something both parties are focused on: In addition to the large digital staffs inside the campaigns of Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama, the convention committees in each host city also have designated staff to work on digital and social media efforts.

“The VP selection, convention and three debates are structured events where people will be paying attention,” said Zac Moffatt, digital director for Romney’s campaign. “Any campaign that didn’t leverage that would be doing a disservice to the candidate.”

And leverage it the campaigns will: While many plans are still being finalized, Romney and Obama both plan to spread their messages via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other digital platforms, taking advantage of the fact that most convention-goers — and many people watching around the country — have smartphones or tablets.

And in a move that further reflects the growing dominance of smartphones, both Republicans and Democrats have been developing mobile apps related to the conventions.

Democrats released their “DNC 2012” mobile app on Tuesday, which will feature videos and photos from the convention as it unfolds as well as maps and information about the city of Charlotte. Republicans plan to have an app available before their Aug. 27 convention begins.

Both parties plan to provide behind-the-scenes video and blog access that will be available for people inside and outside the convention hall, plus live chats or Google+ hangouts to give people a chance to chat with major players.

Features like this will give people not at the convention “almost voyeuristic access to what they’re not seeing on TV in prime time,” said Vincent Harris, a GOP digital strategist who worked on Rick Perry’s presidential campaign.

In January, the Democratic convention committee asked supporters to share their ideas on how to engage more people in the convention process. They responded, said Nikki Sutton, director for digital media at the convention in Charlotte — and increased social media presence was one of their main demands.

And last month, when Democrats got the keys to the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte to start transforming it into the convention site, the committee held its first-ever “Tweetup” — an effort to give Twitter followers an inside tour of the venue and the ability to ask questions along the way.

“From the very beginning, we’ve used social media as a tool to have a back-and-forth conversation — a two-way conversation with Americans from all over the country,” Sutton said.